


The Scrap-Box

by Nibbles84



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: 4x04 coda, Buckley parents are assholes, Christopher Diaz is a National Treasure, Coda, First Kiss, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:41:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29336241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nibbles84/pseuds/Nibbles84
Summary: Christopher and Eddie are on mission "Cheer up Buck"
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 45
Kudos: 532
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	The Scrap-Box

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jujubee326](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jujubee326/gifts).



> Yeah it's me again. I don't know why I'm suddenly writing so much. I haven't written that much in years. 
> 
> The scene where Maddie received the box from the Buckleys tore my heart out. Buck's look when he asked after his...absolutely heartbreaking. 
> 
> So I brought in my favorite Diaz boys.
> 
> I'm gifting this to my babes Juju, because even though she doesn't know it yet, she is the biggest cheerleader.

„Dad? Are you okay?“

Eddie hadn’t noticed that his son was trying to get his attention for the last couple of minutes. He couldn’t get Buck’s words out of his head.

_“They gave Maddie a baby box, with her tiny baby shoes and pictures of when she was a baby…things like that. It was really cute. You could see that someone took their time and love and put everything into that box.” Buck started to choke up. Eddie had a sinking feeling. “And when I asked where mine was…you could hear a pin drop; it was so quiet. It’s like I’m not even worth the effort for a damn baby box.”_

_Buck’s voice broke at the end and the tears, that were brimming in his eyes, finally spilled over._

“Dad?”

“I’m fine, mijo. I just have a lot on my mind. What’s up?”

“Is Buck okay?”

“Why?” Eddie was proud that he was raising a tiny genius, but just sometimes he wished he wasn’t so smart.

“I talked to him earlier, because I had a question about a science project and he sounded really sad. He tried to cover it up. But I could tell.” Christopher was really concerned about his Buck.

Eddie thought about how much he should tell him. But in the end, Eddie opted for the truth, because that’s how they talked.

“No, mijo, Buck is not okay. His parents are in town and he doesn’t have the best relationship with them.”

Eddie didn’t explain further. How do you tell a nine-year-old that Buck’s parents are assholes?

“We have to do something nice for him then, to cheer him up, dad. I could make him a card.” Christopher offered.

Eddie’s heart swelled with pride. God, how he loved his son.

“I have an even better idea. Are you ready for a top secret Mission?”

Christopher nodded his head excitedly.

“We’re going to call it _‘Cheer up Buck’_. Put on your shoes, we’re going shopping.”

*~*

When they got back from their shopping trip, Eddie situated Chris at his desk. He put the box in front of Chris and told him, “Go crazy.”

Christopher gave him a megawatt smile and got to work. While shopping Eddie and Chris discussed what they wanted to do and put in the box. Eddie decided to let Chris go crazy with decorating the box for Buck.

Eddie was glad that he finally could do something nice for his best friend. Repaying a fraction of all the things Buck did for them. He just hoped he wasn’t overstepping. Buck’s relationship with his parents and his childhood was a touchy subject for the younger man.

Eddie didn’t have the best relationship with his parents either, but at least they loved him. Overbearing as they may be, they still loved their children.

*~*

The next day was their traditional movie night. Buck came in bearing pizzas and a forced smile. When Christopher gave him a tight hug, Buck had to blink back tears for the first time.

Eddie thought the younger man really looked like a lost puppy. He followed them around like a shadow. When they settled in for their movie night, everyone with a slice of pizza, the Diaz boys crowded Buck completely in.

Buck was practically in a Diaz sandwich. There was no space left between them. Normally Chris and Buck would be sprawled out on the floor, on their tummies, in mountains of blankets and pillows and talking animatedly.

But not tonight. Buck sat stiffly on the couch, barely touching his pizza and not paying any attention to the movie that Chris picked out. His eyes looked vacant.

It broke Eddie’s heart to see his best friend like that. He looked at Christopher who had a look of concern on his face. When their eyes met, Chris nodded his head and Eddie knew it was time to give Buck his box. They initially had agreed to wait until the movie was finished, but Buck wasn’t paying attention anyway. It even took Buck a few seconds to notice that Eddie had stopped the movie.

“What happened?” Buck asked, looking around.

“We’re in the final stages of our mission, Buck.” Christopher said seriously. Eddie got up and went to Christopher’s room to get the box.

“What mission?” Buck looked after Eddie, but turned his attention back to his favorite tiny human.

“We have noticed how sad you are, since your parents visited.” Christopher explained and Buck sucked in a breath. He hoped that Christopher hadn’t noticed his sad mood.

“And yesterday dad and I went on a mission called _‘Cheer up Buck’_ ” Christopher looked over the back of the couch and saw his dad was back with the box.

“You did?” Buck’s voice broke and Christopher nodded his head.

“You may have never gotten a baby box, Evan,” Buck’s head whipped around when the younger man felt the couch dip beside him, and choked back a sob when he saw Eddie holding a wooden box with his name on it. Buck’s hand flew to his mouth and tears streamed down his face. “But we decided to give you something better. A Scrap-Box. You remember Thomas and Mitchell?” Buck nodded. “You remember what they said to you? _‘You don’t find love; you make it’_. Your parents may not care about you, but we do.”

Eddie placed the box in front of Buck on the coffee table. The younger man was sobbing uncontrollably into his hands now and Christopher looked in alarm at his father. That wasn’t the reaction they were aiming for. Eddie took Buck into his arms and put the younger man’s head in the crook of his neck. Christopher also crawled into Buck’s lap to hug him.

“Don’t be sad, kid. You belong to us now.” Christopher said and rubbed Buck’s back in comfort, while Eddie carded his hands through the younger man’s hair gently. 

Buck choked out a laugh. He lowered his hands, his head still cradled in Eddie’s neck and looked at Christopher.

“I do, huh?” Buck hiccupped. Christopher nodded seriously.

“They can’t have you back.” Chris said and jutted his chin out in defiance. Buck let out another laugh and hugged Christopher.

Eddie squeezed Buck’s neck and handed him a tissue to blow his nose and dab his eyes.

Christopher crawled out of Buck’s lap and sat beside him again, so the younger man could examine the box.

Buck reached with shaking fingers for the box and his eyes immediately teared up again.

The wooden box was dark brown, but Christopher went crazy with the glue stick and glitter, as well as sparkly pens. Buck’s name was painted across in rainbow colors. There were hearts, a firetruck, a helmet and even a surfboard. Buck touched the box reverently.

With still shaking fingers he opened the lid and peered inside. Buck looked at Eddie, the younger man’s eyes brimming with tears. Eddie himself teared up looking at his best friend. God he loved him.

Buck then looked at Christopher and squeezed the younger boy to his side.

“Thank you so much Christopher. You have no idea how special you are to me. I love you so much.” Buck quietly said to him.

“I love you too, Buck.”

Buck released Chris from the hug and turned to Eddie. The younger man squeezed his hand and turned his attention back to the box.

He took out the card that was on top. Christopher drew them on the front. Buck and Eddie with Christopher between them, holding hands. Below Christopher wrote _‘The Buckley-Diaz family’_ in bright, colorful letters.

Buck’s eyes leaked continuously until he opened the card.

_“Dear Buck,_

_You are an awesome friend._

_You saved me from starving to death and dying of food poisoning._

_Thank you!_

_Love, Christopher_ _♥_ _”_

Buck let out a belly laugh. Eddie, who didn’t know what his son wrote, read the card over Buck’s shoulder. He really wanted to be offended at what his son wrote, but he couldn’t be mad. Hearing Buck laugh like that, after days of silence from the younger man, lifted the cloud that hung over Eddie. And his son was not wrong.

“Your dad is not that bad, Superman,” Buck loyally defended him. “But you’re very welcome.”

Buck chuckled and carefully put the card aside to look at the rest.

There were a lot of pictures and knickknacks in the box. Tickets to the zoo, state fair, or cinema. Pictures of Christopher and Buck with silly faces. A tiny bi-pride flag from the year before, when they took Christopher to the pride parade. That was the time everything started to change for them. The looks and touches they shared were getting longer. But neither of them acted on it. Eddie was still processing Shannon’s death at the time and they weren’t ready, yet. But ever since they went to Texas the sparks, that floated between them for almost a year, started to ignite.

There were pictures of their adventures. A camping trip to Big Bear, where Buck got poison Ivy on his ass. Christopher taking a picture of Eddie laughing at Buck, who ran around like he had an accident in his pants.

Their trip up to Big Sur, Buck and Christopher standing on the edge of a cliff during sunset. Buck was crouched beside Chris, holding him securely and pointing towards the ocean. 

Their trips to the zoo. A picture of Eddie and Christopher petting a giraffe.

And most notable was a trip to a state fair, where Eddie and Buck participated in an eating contest on who could eat the most wieners. Guess who won?

Buck and Eddie laughed at that picture.

There was a first place ribbon in the box. It was Christopher’s first ribbon he won at a science fair at school, that he only won with Buck’s help.

“You see, Evan? You are not insignificant. You are not a burden.” Buck looked at Eddie with tears in his eyes. “And if your parents can’t see that, then they don’t deserve you. You have nothing to apologize for.”

Eddie took a deep breath…the moment of truth. He cupped Buck’s cheeks.

“You. Are. Enough.” Buck’s lower lip trembled. “You. Are. Loved.” Buck closed his eyes, tears spilling over.

Eddie kissed Buck’s closed eyelids, his forehead and waited until Buck opened his eyes again.

“And I love you.” Eddie whispered and closed the distance again to kiss Buck softly on his mouth.

Buck closed his eyes and kissed Eddie back. He couldn’t believe what was happening.

Buck broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against Eddie’s.

He let out a big sigh. “I love you, too. So much.”

Christopher cheered behind them. “Finally!”

Buck and Eddie both turned around and laughed at Christopher.

“Come here you.” Buck drew Christopher on his lap into a big hug. Eddie put his arms around both his boys.

“You’re both are all the family that I need.”

The end

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys liked it. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are very much appreciated.
> 
> [My Tumblr](https://eddie-diaz-buckley.tumblr.com/)


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